Evaluation of the Indigenous Girls’ STEM Academy – Mid-Term Outcomes Report 

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are marginally represented in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education and careers1, despite their enduring connection to these fields dating thousands of years. Access to culturally safe learning environments, low visibility of Indigenous STEM role models, and insufficient support when navigating tertiary education constrain pathways into STEM professions, particularly for Indigenous women. This is concerning given half of all future jobs are expected to require STEM skills. 

In 2018 the National Indigenous Australians Agency (NIAA) funded the Indigenous Girls’ STEM Academy (IGSA), a 10-year initiative supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and girls to pursue STEM education and careers. The initiative involves a student pathway and teacher development program, led by the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) in consortium with CareerTrackers and the Stronger Smarter Institute. Both programs include Indigenous leadership and culturally safe service design to create a supportive environment for young women to explore their STEM interests and identity, whilst creating a pipeline of female Indigenous STEM professionals and teachers. 

ARTD was engaged by NIAA to conduct a process and mid-term outcomes evaluation of the IGSA over a five-year period.  

NIAA sought to understand how well the initiative was being delivered and what outcomes it was achieving at its halfway point. ARTD, in partnership with Ninti One, was commissioned to deliver the evaluation, looking at program delivery and outcomes for participants, partners, and communities. The evaluation also considered IGSA’s contribution to Closing the Gap Target 6 (education pathways) and Target 8 (economic participation and community development). 

We used a participatory evaluation approach to ensure our work was credible and culturally responsive, with First Nations evaluators steering the project and IGSA participants, providers, and community stakeholders engaged in multiple ways throughout the evaluation. ARTD’s Aboriginal Associates worked with staff at Indigenous-owned and led Ninti One Limited and Nama Jalu Consultants to lead the evaluation. They were guided by the Evaluation Advisory Committee and the NIAA’s Indigenous Evaluation Committee. 

In addition to analysing administrative data from each of the service providers, we gathered information about the initiative through focus groups, yarning circles, and interviews with more than 120 stakeholders, including students and their family members, program staff from the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, CareerTrackers and the Stronger Smarter Institute, and school and industry partners. All of this consultation was led by Aboriginal team members to create culturally safe spaces for sharing experiences. 

The evaluation also featured case studies showing participants’ journeys through the various pathways offered through the initiative. This helped illustrate the many ways in which the programs were supporting students to achieve their academic, career and personal goals.  

The evaluation found that the IGSA had been implemented in ways that responded to the emerging needs of its participants, with major shifts in service delivery occurring as a result of the impacts of Covid-19. There was good evidence to show that, at its mid-point, the initiative was doing well at recruiting young Indigenous women to participate in STEM education at secondary and tertiary levels, as well as to engage in STEM teaching degrees. Most of the participants, across all program offerings, had stayed engaged in their studies, or had graduated and were pursuing STEM or STEM teaching careers. The Evaluation of the Indigenous Girls’ STEM Academy- Mid-Term Outcomes Report is published on the NIAA website and its findings are being used to refine the initiatives, and to inform the design of similar future endeavours.